Archive for November, 2006

10 Hours Of Torture 29Nov06


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Thanks to Lime and Violet for their hilarious mention of me on the recent show. I almost spewed coffee all over the place when I heard the show!

And the Snow Angels yarn is up…adamknits.etsy.com…Get yours today!

Phew. Glad that’s done. I spent 10 straight hours at UNM yesterday “finishing up” my take home test. Yeah, it took 10 hours just to put on the finishing touches and wrap up the proofs nicely. It was horrendous. But it’s over now, and my birthday is coming up, so I can actually see the light at the end of the tunnel now!

I was working on the test until around 9:30 PM, so sadly I didn’t make it to SnB at Flying Star. I was sad, since I really wanted to knit instead of work on a test involving complex Markov Chains, but I had my own knitting group once I got home.

that's right, I have a personalized beer stein.
Yup, that’s right, I have a personalized beer mug. Super Classy.

That’s Pumpkin Pecan Cheesecake from Flying Star in case you’re enticed. I’m glad that they still have Pumpkin stuff after Thanksgiving, because Pumpkin is pretty much my favorite dessert flavor EVER. Mmmmmmm.

In knitting news, I’m still working away on the Irish Hiking Scarf. It’s getting close to the end, but I’m reminded of why I don’t knit scarves too often, cause they take a long time. Technically, it’s probably just a little more work than a pair of socks, but socks have a bit more variety because of all the different parts. I shouldn’t complain though, this scarf has helped me pass many boring hours in classes these past few weeks ;)

There was also a nice little surprise outside when I woke up this morning. Snow! (Although, in true Albuquerque fashion, only about 0.00005 inches of it.) If you look closely in the pictures, you can see the snowflakes falling…just barely though. The dogs quite love to play in the snow…for about 5 minutes, then they start giving puppy eye looks and shivering. Such babies, and wonderful actors to boot. Needless to say, I always succumb to their charms…which is why my sheets always seem to be dirty.

snow, Albuquerque style
zzzzzz... wake me when it's stopped snowing.

Coming up tomorrow, I’ll announce my birthday contest, open the guessing and start begging for yarn presents. Fun times.

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Calling All Chicagoans 28Nov06


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Alright people, time for some delurking. I’m headed to Chicago in a few days (leaving on Friday, my birthday!), and I need the scoop on the best places to go/knit/shop etc. Here’s a list of some of the things I have planned for my relaxation weekend.

  1. Visit some yarn stores. Which ones are the best?
  2. Drink good coffee. I’m planning to hit up Intelligentsia Coffee, any other suggestions?
  3. Do some Christmas shopping. My brother loves the Chicago Bears, so I promised to get him some Bears stuff for Christmas. I know there’s a Pro Shop at Soldier Field, and some places on or around Michigan Ave. Anywhere else I can get good Bears stuff?
  4. Go to an amazing concert! The concert will be at the Double Door, which I hear is an amazing place for live music.

Those are the things that are slated for the agenda, but I’m really open to anything else that’s fun to do in Chicago. I saw all the museums and attractions there a few years ago, so I think this trip will be more about exploring the city and culture, and just hanging out.

So now it’s your turn to help out. Where should I go, what should I eat, where’s the best yarn and/or coffee? Any little shops I absolutely need to check out?

Ok, this thinly veiled attempt at procrastination has to come to an end sadly. I’m still working on the test of death, but it’s due today, so it will be out of my life soon enough. I’m hoping to make it to SnB, but the test is due at 11 PM, so who knows. I will make every attempt at finishing before then, because I certainly don’t want to be on campus until 11 PM. Also, the Snow Angels yarn should be going up either today or tomorrow, I’ll let you know when it’s up!

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Snow Angels 27Nov06


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I hope that everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving, mine was very nice. Thanks Mom for pulling off that meal, you always amaze me when it comes together in the last few minutes! It’s always nice to have a weekend to unwind and relax…except that’s what I shouldn’t have been doing. I have a huge take home test due this Tuesday, and it’s really hard and long, and it’s very possible I’ll be up all night tonight and tomorrow night finishing it off. Grrr to professors who assign long tests over holiday weekends when all your friends and family are in town, and want to do stuff!

Oh well, I suppose I should get this procrastination fueled blog post over, so I can get back to it. Eh?

I’m very excited to announce a brand new colorway, just in time for Christmas! It’s called Snow Angels, and it’s inspired by the brand new Over the Rhine Christmas Album of the same name. (The Album is amazing by the way, go get yourself a copy from iTunes!) This is not your ordinary schmoltzy Christmas music, these are original OtR songs that are guaranteed to make you laugh, cry and any other wonderful emotion in between. To honor this amazing album, I’ve created the Snow Angels colorway to match the beautiful artwork from the album.

Snow Angels - 1 Snow Angels - 5

I’m going to be offering this skein as a limited edition holiday colorway, with only 20 skeins available. These 20 skeins will be divided amongst base yarns as follows:

  1. 900 MHz Merino - 420 Yards - 10 Available
  2. 1500 MHz Merino - 375 Yards - 8 Available
  3. 2400 MHz Merino - 280 Yards - 2 Available

With every skein, I’m also going to throw in a gift copy of the song Snow Angels from Over the Rhine’s CD through iTunes.

I’m going to list these yarns in my etsy shop on Tuesday for preorder, so you can reserve the yarn you want as soon as possible. I’ll get all 20 skeins dyed up and sent out by Christmas, so this yarn would make a great gift for either yourself or any other knitter!

I’m also going to be giving away a few skeins of yarn in a few days for my birthday, so stay tuned for that! I suppose I should quit procrastinating now…wish me luck, I’m going to need it!

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What We’re Thankful For 23Nov06


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Quite a lot actually! And here’s my chance to roll out my favorite blogging tool, the venerated and trusty list! So here’s (just a few of) the things I’m thankful for this year.

"papa, why do I have to do this?"

  1. My Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. It really boggles my mind that God would choose to love and have a relationship with me, but I’m really amazed by this constantly. Definitely something that I try to be thankful for at all times, but Thanksgiving is a good occassion to be reminded of how good God is to me. Even when things aren’t so good.

  2. My wonderful family! I love my entire family so much and I’m thankful that I have a close family, that I can share my hopes and dreams, as well as frustrations with. Thanks guys!

  3. My beloved dogs, Dallas and Emma. These two rambunctious puppies keep me both stressed and sane at all times of the day. They’re my constant companions and truest friends.

  4. Knitting. I would have never thought one year ago that something I had once considered a hobby for grandmothers would have changed my life so much. It’s so awesome to have an outlet for my creativity, frustrations and excitements. The process of knitting something from a skein of yarn still amazes me everytime.

  5. The Online Commu-knitty. Ok that was bad, sorry. Anyway, I love you guys! Knitting for me wouldn’t have become what is has without the support and encouragement of my fellow bloggers. The same can also be said of my yarn dyeing. Without people to encourage me and help me, and the wonderful people who have given my yarns a home, I wouldn’t have ever ventured down the road of dyeing. Thanks guys (and gals)!

give us a kiss!

Now, just to spice things up a bit, and to be a sentimental pet owner, here’s the list of what Dallas and Emma are thankful for.

  1. Both: That Dad promised to bring us some Turkey, Mashed Potatoes and Gravy home today! Yippee!

  2. Dallas: Dad just bought us a bunch of new toys! Emma: Except Dallas won’t quit hogging them! Quit it Dallas, Dad says you have to share!

  3. Dallas: That Dad hasn’t tried to knit us sweaters yet, thank goodness for that! Emma: Speak for yourself dork! I love to wear dog sweaters, since I’m always cold!

  4. Both: That Dad lets us sleep in the bed with him, since that floor is not comfy. It’s so much nicer under the covers, even if Dad does get frustrated when we hog the bed.

  5. Both: Did we mention we’re gonna have some turkey today???

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Knitting Bonanza 22Nov06


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Sometimes it seems like I get sidetracked talking about lots of other stuff on the blog, but I guess such is life. I do still knit, and even though it might not be the center of every post, let me assure you, it still happens. So here’s both some finished and unfinished objects to tide you over. First up is the Backyard Leaves scarf, from Scarf Style, knitted up in some Cascade 220 Heathers in a lovely green color. I really enjoyed this pattern, and by the end I was able to memorize it, which helped. It’s not the fastest knit, but it’s beautiful and well worth the effort.

backyard leaves - 3 backyard leaves - 1

Next up we have the Irish Hiking Scarf, also being knit up in Cascade 220 Heathers, in a light chocolate color. I can’t say enough about this pattern, it’s simple, easy to memorize, fast knitting and the results are great looking. Definitely a keeper!

hiking right towards the cast off!

Lastly, I’m still working away on The Project That Shall Not Be Named. I’m beginning to worry that it might not be done in time, but I continue to be optimistic. (Or delusion, you decide…) Here’s a picture, with the obvious details blurred for the protection of the giftee, but I’m sure you get the idea. Speaking of which, I have the evening off, so I need to get back to the knitting…

the project that shall not be named...it's hiding!

Tomorrow, Me, Dallas and Emma will be posting what we’re thankful for. Happy Thanksgiving!

Speaking of sidetracked…I updated the etsy store with some yarns that I’ve had for a bit. There’s 3 skeins of worsted up there and they’re on sale until further notice. Also there’s a skein that was previously called Carnival, but I reskeined it and decided to change the name to Froot Loops. Mmmm, my favorite cereal!

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